Thanks to the Campaign for Fairer Gambling’s ‘Stop the FOBTs’ the issues surrounding FOBTs have remained high on the political agenda. Over recent months, Stop the FOBTs has been gathering further momentum and public support as more evidence collected by the Campaign is exposed in the media. The only way to minimise the harmful effects of FOBTs is to reduce the maximum stake per spin from £100 to £2, in line with all other Category B gaming machines. This is an action Government could take today, to protect the young and vulnerable, without primary legislation.

Watch just some of the highlights from the Stop the FOBTs campaign so far and find out how you can take action against FOBTs.

Listen to Campaign consultant Matt Zarb-Cousin and Professor Jim Orford during a phone-in on BBC WM, discussing the recent news that a millionaire gambling addict is suing the Ritz for allowing her to lose £2million, saying that the Ritz knew she was an addict and should have stopped her.

If gambling is becoming problematic and you feel you might be developing an addiction, the five steps below will start to help you overcome it.

(1) Ban yourself from all gambling venues
You can self-exclude from betting shops by signing forms and handing over passport photos. Although there is no guarantee that staff will stop letting you in, it’s certainly a step in the right direction for your recovery. Self-exclusion tends to be more stringent in casinos, so rescinding your membership is worthwhile. Do this for all adult gaming centres and bingo halls too, and make sure you self-exclude for the maximum possible term.

Colin Ross a retired-Bookmaker from Aberdeen, December 2012

“I know a great deal about the betting game and now as an independent Scottish-football odds compiler and Scottish football punter, I cringe and want to scream out loud as I watch another sad case succumb to the disease that is the FOBTs.
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